Is the Citi SMRT Card Singapore’s Most Underrated Cashback Card? (MoneySmart Review 2025)

Let’s be honest—the Citi SMRT Card doesn’t exactly have the coolest name. You might even mistake it for just another transport card. But if you ask me, this card is actually one of the most underrated cashback credit cards in Singapore—and I can say that from personal experience.

I’ve been using the Citi SMRT Card for the past 2 months, and boy has it delivered. This card is perfect for earning cashback on everyday expenses. From groceries and online shopping to transport and your daily commute, the Citi SMRT Card offers consistent savings that add up faster than expected.

In this review, I’ll break down how the cashback works, who would benefit most from the card, and how I’ve benefitted from it personally. Whether you’re a frequent commuter or just looking to save more, read on to find out if the Citi SMRT Card could be a good fit for your lifestyle.

Citi SMRT Card—Is it MoneySmart?
Overall: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5) Best for: Budget-conscious individuals and frequent commuters in Singapore. With its low minimum spend requirement ($500/month) and cashback on everyday expenses, it’s good for young professionals looking to maximise savings through regular spending. The catch: Note the minimum monthly spend requirement of $500 and the annual rewards cap of 600 SMRT$ (1 SMRT$ = S$1 in cash value).
Pros—What we like			Cons—What we don’t like
– Low monthly spend requirement of $500 – High cashback rate of 5% on accessible, everyday spend categories: groceries, online shopping, taxi and private hire rides, SimplyGo transactions – No monthly cap; an annual cap applies instead, which is more flexible for you			– Cashback is accumulated as SMRT$, which must be redeemed in multiples of SMRT$10. This means smaller cashback amounts can be harder to redeem. – SMRT$ have tricky expiry rules: SMRT$ earned during a 12-month period will expire 15 months from the start of that period, whether it’s the card issuance date or the card renewal date. – Travel-related transactions will not earn you cashback.
Citi SMRT Card at a glance
Category		Our rating		The deets
Earn rates: SMRT$		★★★★★		– 5% cash rebate in the form of SMRT$ – $500/month minimum spend
Earn categories		★★★★☆		– Groceries – Qualifying Online Spend (excludes travel-related transactions) – SimplyGo (tap to pay) – Taxis (including private-hire rides)
Annual fees and charges		★★★★☆		$196.20
Accessibility		★★★★☆		– Singaporean/PR minimum income: $30,000 – Non-Singaporean minimum income: $42,000
Extras/periphery rewards		★☆☆☆☆		– Club21.com: 20% off regular-priced items (valid till 31 Aug 2025) – Kids21: 15% off regular-priced items (valid till 31 Oct 2025) – RedMan: 10% off first purchase online and in-store island-wide, plus free delivery for purchases above S$88 (valid till 31 Aug 2025)
Sign-up bonus		★★★★★		Welcome gift: $350 cash or 5,040 SmartPoints, and a bonus $50 cash when you spend monthly for 3 consecutive months. Score upsized 7,460 SmartPoints if you’re one of the first 10 to submit your claim at 2 pm or 9 pm daily. Spend requirement: Spend $500 on your card within the first 30 days. Lucky draw: Plus, stand to win lucky draw prizes like: – a Panerai Quaranta 40mm PAM01572 (worth $8,500) – $5,000 Cash – an Apple 14″ MacBook Pro (worth $2,199)

See our credit card ranking rubric to find out how we rank credit cards.

Citi SMRT Card: MoneySmart Review 2025

1. Citi SMRT Card: Summary
2. Citi SMRT Card: Cashback Categories
3. Citi SMRT Card: Cashback Calculation
4. Citi SMRT Card: SMRT$ Redemption, Expiry, and More
5. Citi SMRT Card: Fees and Charges
6. Is the Citi SMRT Card Worth It?
7. Citi SMRT Card Promotions
8. Alternatives to the Citi SMRT Card

 

1. Citi SMRT Card: Summary

Despite its name, the Citi SMRT Card isn’t just for public transport—it’s actually a powerful cashback card that goes far beyond just SMRT rides. Ideal for budget-conscious individuals and frequent commuters in Singapore, this card makes it easy to earn 5% cashback on everyday essentials like:

• Groceries
• Online shopping (excluding travel)
• SimplyGo public transport,
• Taxi or private-hire rides

All that with a manageable $500 minimum spend per month.

One of the best parts? There’s no monthly cashback cap to worry about. Instead, there’s a more flexible annual cap of SMRT$600, giving you the freedom to maximize your rewards.

The only thing I would caution you about is the fact that cashback is earned as SMRT$—a rewards currency you won’t see with other Citibank credit cards, since it’s unique to the Citi SMRT Card. Why does this matter? Firstly, SMRT$ can only be redeemed in multiples of SMRT$10. Secondly, these SMRT$ expire 15 months from the start of the 12-month period in which they’re earned—which is confusing, I know. I’ll go into more detail below.

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2. Citi SMRT Card: Cashback categories

One of the chief reasons I like the Citi SMRT Card is the fact that its bonus rates apply to a wide range of everyday spend categories. The base rate is 0.03%, but you earn an extra 4.7% for a total of 5% on selected spend categories so long as you hit $500/month minimum spend.

Categories	Base rate (no minimum spend)	Bonus rate (monthly qualifying retail spend of >$500)	Total earn rate
Groceries	0.3%	4.7%	5%
Qualifying Online Spend		4.7%	5%
SimplyGo (tap to pay)		4.7%	5%
Taxis (including private-hire rides)		4.7%	5%
Other Qualifying Retail Spend		NIL	0.3%

Source: Citi SMRT$ Rewards Program Terms and Conditions

Wondering what counts as “Taxis (including private-hire rides)” or “Qualifying Online Spend”? Here are the Merchant Category Codes (MCC) for transparency;

Categories	MCC	Transaction Description
Groceries	MCC 5411	Not required
Qualifying Online Spend (excludes mobile wallet and travel-related transactions)	Not applicable	Awarded based on online indicator
SimplyGo (tap to pay)	MCC 4111	BUS/MRT
Taxis#	MCC 4121	Not required

Source: Citi SMRT$ Rewards Program Terms and Conditions

Essentially, the Citi SMRT Card has got you covered for groceries, transport, and online expenses. That covers a good deal of everyday expenditure for many Singaporeans. With such a wide range of essential spending categories, the Citi SMRT Card is ideal for budget-conscious folks, or those looking for a cashback card to add to their wallet to take care of everyday expenses. Plus, with no monthly cap and a more flexible annual limit, it’s a great way to maximise savings on your regular spends.

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3. Citi SMRT Card: Cashback calculation

The Citi SMRT Card earns you cashback in the form of SMRT$, for which there’s an annual cap of SMRT$600. At the 5% cashback rate, that’s the equivalent of $12,000 worth of spending. The great thing about an annual cap instead of a monthly one is that you have greater flexibility. You can choose whether you want to spend $1,000 a month or $12,000 in one month.

Knowing that the Citi SMRT Card rewards you with a 5% cash rebate is one thing, but actually seeing how it benefits you in real life is a different animal. Luckily for you reading this, I applied for the Citi SMRT Card almost 2 months ago, which means I’ve gone through one complete statement cycle with it. Now, I’m not going to show you my actual credit card statement, but here’s a summary of how much I spent and the SMRT$ I earned.

My spending	Groceries	$89.50
	Shopee	$368.09
	Bus/MRT	$63.30
	Grab	$41.80
	Others	$30.00
	Total spend	$592.69
	Qualifying spend for 5% cashback	$562.69
My SMRT$ earned	Bonus SMRT$ (at 5% rate) earned	SMRT$28.13
	Base SMRT$ earned	SMRT$0.09
	Total SMRT$ earned	SMRT$28.22

In total, I spent $592.69, of which about 95% is applicable for the 5% cashback rate. The base rate of 0.03% still applies to the remaining $30 that fell outside of the qualifying bonus spend. Adding up the SMRT$ earned from both types of earn rates, I earned SMRT$28.22 (equivalent to $28.22 cash value) from $592.69.

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4. Citi SMRT Card: SMRT$ redemption, expiry, and more

The fact that you earn SMRT$ and not cash rebate directly might throw you off, but it’s really just another reward currency. Functionally, it works the same way as other cashback you can earn on Citi credit cards. For example, I also have the Citi Cash Back+ Card, and both my cashback and SMRT$ appear side by side in my Citi app.

However, there are some things you should know about SMRT$:

• SMRT$1 = $1 cash value
• You can only redeem SMRT$ for cash rebate in blocks of $10, capped at $50 per redemption.
• SMRT$ expire 3 months after the 12-month period in which they were earned ends. This is confusing, so let me elaborate below.

In the Citi SMRT$ Rewards Program Terms and Conditions, the SMRT$ expiry is described like this:

“SMRT$ accumulated during any 12 month period commencing from the date of issue of the Card or date of renewal of the Card account (as the case may be) have a validity period of 15 months from such a commencement date.” 

Let’s break that down.

1. You receive your brand new Citi SMRT Card. A countdown timer starts, counting down 12 months.
2. You earn SMRT$ during this first 12-month period. Let’s call it Period 1.
3. All the points earned in step 2 will expire 3 months after the end of Period 1. This is the same as 15 months after you were issued your card.
4. Once Period 1 ends, another 12-month period begins—Period 2—and the same rules apply. Rinse and repeat for as long as you keep renewing your Citi SMRT Card.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown with examples:

Earning period	SMRT$ expiry	Example
Period 1: First 12 months from when you get your card	All SMRT$ earned within the first 12 months (Period 1) expire 3 months after the end of Period 1.	If I get my card on 1 Jan 2025, all the points I earn from then till 31 Dec 2025 will expire on 1 Apr 2026.
Period 2: Next 12 months	All SMRT$ earned within the next 12 months (Period 2) expire 3 months after the end of Period 2.	All the points I earn from 1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2026 will expire on 1 Apr 2027.

The good news is that Citi will remind you of your SMRT$ expiry for the 3 months before they expire: 

“A reminder on the validity of your SMRT$ is included in your statement of accounts for three consecutive months prior to the actual expiry.”

Source: Citi SMRT$ Rewards Program Terms and Conditions

So even if you don’t track your SMRT$, you’ll be given a 3-month heads up.

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5. Citi SMRT Card: Fees and Charges

Citi SMRT Card
Annual fee & waiver	$196.20 (waiver available) $98.10 for supplementary card
Annual interest rate	27.9%
Late payment fee	$100
Minimum monthly repayment	Current balance between $0 to $50: The current balance. Current balances $50 and above: (i) 1% of the current balance (ii) 1% of any outstanding unbilled instalment amounts (iii) all interest charges (including interest charged under instalment plans) (iv) all upfront service fees for instalment plans (v) late payment charges Or $50 plus any overdue amounts
Foreign currency transaction fee	3.5%
Cash advance transaction fee	8% (minimum $15)
Card association	Visa

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6. Is the Citi SMRT Card worth it?

The Citi SMRT Card is designed for Singaporeans who want to make the most out of their daily spending, especially commuters and those who frequently shop online or buy groceries. But is it truly worth it for you? Let’s break down the key factors.

Pros of the Citi SMRT Card:

• High cashback on essentials: Earn 5% cashback on groceries, online shopping (excluding travel), SimplyGo transport, and taxis/private-hire rides.
• Low minimum spend: You only need to spend $500 per month to unlock the highest cashback rate.
• Flexible annual cap: No monthly cap means you can earn cashback up to SMRT$600 per year as needed, rather than being restricted by monthly limits.

Cons of the Citi SMRT Card: 

• Cashback restrictions: Cashback is credited as SMRT$, which can only be redeemed in multiples of SMRT$10, making small amounts harder to use.
• Limited categories: No cashback on travel-related purchases, and digital wallet top-ups (like GrabPay) are excluded.
• Annual cashback cap: The SMRT$600 cap might be limiting for higher spenders.
• SMRT$ Expiry: SMRT$ expire 15 months from the start of the 12-month period in which they were earned. While this is confusing and can be difficult to track, it’ also worth noting that Citi will remind you of their validity in the 3 months before they expire.

Checklist: Is the Citi SMRT Card for you?

• Do you spend at least $500 per month?
• Do you spend a significant amount on groceries, online shopping, transport, and taxis?
• Are you comfortable managing cashback in the form of SMRT$, including redeeming SMRT$ for cash rebate and tracking expiry dates?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, the Citi SMRT Card could be a great fit for your lifestyle, especially if you’re looking for reliable cashback on everyday essentials.

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7. Citi SMRT Card promotions

Looking to get even more out of your Citi SMRT Card? Here are some current promotions that can help you score extra rewards and prizes when you sign up through MoneySmart.

Sign-up offers:

• Upsized SmartPoints:
  • Be one of the first 10 to submit your claim at 2 pm or 9 pm daily and earn 7,460 SmartPoints.
  • If you miss out, don’t worry—you can still receive either $350 cash or 5,040 SmartPoints as long as you meet the minimum spend requirement of $500 within the first 30 days.
• Bonus reward:
  • Get an additional $50 cash when you spend monthly for 3 consecutive months.

 Lucky Draw Prizes: Stand a chance to win amazing prizes on top of your baseline gift:

• Panerai Quaranta 40mm PAM01572 (worth $8,500)
• $5,000 cash
• Apple 14″ MacBook Pro (worth $2,199)

Don’t forget to enrol in our Rollin’ Rewards campaign for free before you apply to stand to win up to 10,490 SmartPoints, enough to redeem one of the following:

• Apple 11-inch iPad Air Wi-Fi (M3, 128GB Space Grey)
• Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Soundbar, 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Dolby Atmos®
• Garmin Forerunner 965 Smartwatch (Black)
• Apple Mac mini (M4 Chip, 256GB)

You can also view all our ongoing credit card promotions for more credit card welcome gifts.

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8. Alternatives to the Citi SMRT Card

While the Citi SMRT Card is a strong choice for commuters and everyday spending, other cashback cards might suit your lifestyle better depending on your priorities. Here are 3 alternatives based on the spending category that matters most to you.

 

Best alternative for transport: DBS Live Fresh Card

If public transport and contactless payments are a big part of your routine, the DBS Live Fresh Card is a great choice. It offers up to 6% cashback on shopping and transport spending, including SimplyGo transactions for MRT and bus rides. 

However, you’ll need to spend $800 per month to unlock the bonus cashback rates, and your shopping and transport spends are capped at $50 and $20 per calendar month respectively.

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ALSO READ: 5 Best Credit Cards to Use on Public Transport with SimplyGo

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Best alternative for groceries: UOB One Card

For those who spend a lot on groceries, the UOB One Card is an excellent option. It gives you up to 10% cashback on groceries at Cold Storage and Giant, plus spending in categories like dining, transport, and more.

You do need to hit a high minimum monthly spend of $2,000, so this card is not for the budget-conscious who will not hit such sums in a month. However, if you have a family and/or usually already spend $2,000 or more a month, you’re in a great position to make the most of this card’s high spend requirements.

Best alternative for online spending: OCBC Frank Card

If your priority is saving on online shopping, the OCBC Frank Card shines with its 8% cashback on online and mobile contactless transactions. The $800 minimum spend requirement is slightly more than the Citi SMRT Card’s requirement—but then so is its cashback rate. With a monthly cashback cap of $100, it’s perfect for those who make frequent online purchases or who want to use the same credit card for their commute.

 

P.S. Here’s our MoneySmart credit card ranking rubric

In case you’re wondering, here’s how we decide on our credit card rankings.

Is that credit card MoneySmart? Our MoneySmart credit card ranking rubric
Category	Our rating
Overall	The average rating for the credit card on the whole, calculated from the ratings for the individual categories below. Plus, we’ll give you a one-liner on who we think the credit card is best suited for.
Earn rates: Air miles / Cashback / Rewards points	Air miles ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ / Cashback / Rewards points . This category looks at the depth rather than breadth of earn rates. 5 stars means this card’s got the highest earn rates within that credit card type. 3-4 stars mean it’s average 1-2 stars reflect earn rates that are below average.
Earn categories	This category looks at the breadth rather than depth of your earnings. 5 stars: Earn with ANY spend. 3-4 stars: Earn on a large number of categories (e.g. all dining, transport and retail, but not telco bills) OR earn on 1 very broad category (e.g. all contactless/mobile payments). 1-2 stars: Earn a decent rate only on selected categories, such as fast food only.
Annual fees and charges	5 stars: $0  4 stars: $1-200 3 stars: $201-500 2 stars: $501-$999 1 star: $1,000 and up We dock a star if fee waiver is NOT allowed.
Accessibility	Minimum income requirements: 5 stars: Less than $30,000 a year 4 stars: Around $30,000 a year for Singaporeans and $40,000-$45,000 for non-Singaporeans 3 stars: $30,000-$60,000 a year for Singaporeans, $40,000-$70,000 for non-Singaporeans 2 stars: $60,000-$120,000 a year for Singaporeans, $70,000-$120,000 for non-Singaporeans 1 star: $120,000 and up for either, or both Exclusivity: We dock 1-2 stars if there is/are another category/categories that make the card exclusive and very specific to a certain clientele.
Extras/periphery rewards	These include: Travel benefits, such as airport lounge access Lifestyle benefits, such as spa privileges Dining benefits, such as complimentary AMEX Love Dining or Entertainer with HSBC subscriptions We count the number of benefits and award between 0.5 to 2 stars for each, depending on how good the perk is.
Sign-up bonus	5 stars: The gift(s), cash, or miles are the highest we see out there compared to other credit cards of the same type (miles, cashback, etc). Also easy to attain these welcome bonuses. 3-4 stars: Average but not disappointing sign-up bonus compared to other credit cards. You aren’t losing out. 1-2 stars: You are probably losing out in terms of the welcome bonus you’re getting; there are other similar credit cards with sign-up bonuses that are better or easier to attain.

Check out our ultimate list of credit card reviews for the low-down on credit cards in Singapore.

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